You’ll never guess how many celebrities wear hair extensions

That said, both Sturdivant-Drew and Valles believe the veil is starting to lift, thanks in large part to Instagram. When celebrities post photos from an event, they’re increasingly tagging their extensionists along with the rest of the members of their “glam squad,” like their makeup artist and stylist. “That’s their way of saying, this is really not me; I borrowed this hair,” says Sturdivant-Drew. “It’s kind of like playing dress up.”

What Types of Extensions Are Celebrities Using?

For some celebs, though, having hair extensions in is akin to having their toes perpetually pedicured — Valles says that for about half of her clients, it’s part of general upkeep. (The other half seek out extensions for special occasions, like performances or photoshoots.) In that case, Valles says she mostly uses individual keratin bond extensions, a line of which she has created in collaboration with Glam Seamless. (We also like those by Great Lengths and Bellami.)

Keratin-bonded are “considered the Rolls Royce of extensions,” says Valles. “They move and flow so naturally because [the bonding point] is the width of a grain of rice. You’re basically building a wig on the head.” Valles says she’ll often use multiple colours on a single client: For example, Chrissy Teigen‘s multidimensional highlights require six different shades of hair.

This type of extension lasts for six to eight weeks and requires the skills of a trained professional to apply and remove — but there are also more temporary options for building volume. Sturdivant-Drew likes clip-ins, like those from her own line, TSD Hair. (We’re fans of The Hair Shop and Luxy Hair, too.) To apply them, she suggests teasing hair at the root section-by-section, then clipping in the extensions (which are equipped with snaps that look resemble tiny combs) as you go. To help them blend most seamlessly with your natural hair, leave out your hairline and natural part.

Should you like the look, Valles recommends bringing your clip-ins to your next hair appointment so your stylist can cut them to frame your face. If you’re using multiple clip-ins versus one large piece, just be sure to label the inside of each section (left center, right front, etc.) to keep track of where to place them, she says.

And if you feel funny talking to your stylist about it, try to remember you’re far from alone. “The more we normalize extensions as an extra hair accessory, or like getting your hair color done, the better it is for everyone,” says Valles. “So many women are insecure about their hair. [They should know that] a lot of people in the public eye known for having the ‘best’ hair really have a head-full of extensions.”

This article was originally published on Allure.